Voor wrote:I think it’s kind of a misconception that the games are “too long”. The reason is say that is because during the playoffs and World Series, people will stay up way late to watch an extra innings game, and it is indeed exciting.

Voor wrote:I think it’s kind of a misconception that the games are “too long”. The reason is say that is because during the playoffs and World Series, people will stay up way late to watch an extra innings game, and it is indeed exciting.

When I was a kid a typical game was 2 and a half hours, and something they were less than 2 hours because pitchers would actually attempt to pitch 9 innings instead of 5 "quality" innings.

Maybe, though when I look at the WS ratings, the biggest factor to me seems to be the teams that are playing. Baseball as a whole has declined sure, but folks still tune in WHEN A GAME MATTERS.

I never watch baseball, until the playoffs, and then I follow it very closely. I think a lot of fans are like that.

I’d say baseball needs to tap from other sports:—fewer games, making each game have weight. College football has perfected this.

—let their stars be stars. NBA is great at this.

—enough with the gentleman unspoken rules. Flip that bat all over the place. Talk trash. Grab your crotch. With all the restraint, it’s so dumb that beaning a batter because he homered off you last year is somehow “OK”. Dumb.

I used to love baseball as a kid! I lived in SoCal so I was a Dodgers fan.....I could count on the same players coming back every year....Garvey, Cey, Lopes and the rest Now you never know if your favorite player will be there year to year. I also agree with the relief pitcher thing. They've been throwing forever! Why more once the take the mound? Do back up quarterbacks get to come on the field and throw 15-20 passed down the field? lol.....first time post, long time fan of the VGC. Cheers!

After some really great games with my college where there were not many home runs it became a lot of homers again. There weren't that many homeruns when I started following baseball in the late '80's. There was bunting and strategy, and I guess it was before the steroids problem when everyone was hitting 50 home runs. I'll never understand the love of homers that everyone has. I love reading about baseball history. It actually all started in the 1930's they moved all the fences in. It was too boost fan interest. There were a lot of triples up to that point. And I think that must have been such an amazing time. It would've been neat to of watched baseball games then. I've looked at ballpark dimensions on the internet for baseball history. Up until the 1930's Center field was like 500 feet at most stadiums. Right and left center were like 380-400. And the left and right field lines in a lot of stadiums were like 350-360. It was a few stadiums where it was like under 300 and that's why some players hit a bunch of home runs back then. Baseball is boring to me now. There's only home runs, no fundamentals. I can't stand baseball now. They moved the fences in even more than in the '80's.

Jon, I feel your pain!! When I was a kid baseball was everything. But over the years, like any business I guess, the MLB was always willing to make a quick buck even if it meant sacrificing the integrity of the sport.

At its purest, I think baseball is probably the best sport - a perfect blend of skill and strategy.

It does sound as if they are now willing to make radical changes to remain relevant in this internet age. The fact that they are willing to cut back on commercials is mind-blowing.

I only watch games from the 80’s & 90,91 and 92, on YouTube. I invested wisely in baseball cards back then so I still remember most of the players. I find it pleasing to look up a player whose card I remember having without ever actually seeing him play. For example I watched my hometown Tigers play a game with Dave Engle in the lineup. I remember his card back then and that he played in Detroit at some point briefly. Turns out he only played 1 year in Detroit and it was one of his worst years. He made the all-star team for the Twins a couple years earlier. His all-star year was about as believable as seeing Harold Baines in the hall of fame. Interesting story about this guy is that he couldn’t ever really latch hold onto a position. He played catcher for a season or two, but had some sort of weird mental block where he couldn’t throw it back to the pitcher right. I guess he would do great throwing to second and third on base stealers so he had a strong arm. I guess he also had a serious eye injury in his childhood and it was simply amazing that he ever was able to play in the mlb at all anyway. My point is that it’s neat seeing what happened to the ball players on card that I once collected. I remember taking a look at a few rookies. I wondered what kind of careers they had. Now I can finally know.